Iraola bowing out in style - where will he go next?

Any suggestion of distraction following Andoni Iraola's decision to leave Bournemouth was firmly dismissed by his players in their statement victory against Newcastle.

It was confirmed this week that the Spaniard will leave the club when his contract expires this summer, ending a three‑year spell in charge.

"If anything, it has made us want us to run harder for him and finish the season off with something special," Cherries winger Marcus Tavernier told BBC Match of the Day.

"He has done a lot for this club and players, so it is only right we show him this reaction to finish off with something we can remember for a long time."

Iraola added: "You are always worried because when you give this kind of news, you don't know how everyone is going to react. I trust my players a lot and I know they want to push until the end."

But could the 2-1 win at St James' Park have doubled as Iraola's audition for the Newcastle job?

His latest victory as Bournemouth manager piled more pressure on his counterpart Eddie Howe, with the Magpies now just three points clear of 15th‑placed Leeds.

Newcastle could be just one of many potential destinations for Iraola this summer.

"I have no clue," Iraola told BBC Radio Solent when asked about his future. "I don't know if I'm going to coach next season. I have no rush to know it. The decision has not been affected by any other club."

But one thing is certain - the 43-year-old is unlikely to be out of work for long.

Iraola arrived on the south coast on a two-year deal in June 2023, inheriting a side which finished 15th under Gary O'Neil.

In his first season, he guided them to 12th, achieving a then-club high 48 points, and was rewarded with a contract extension until the end of 2025-26.

The following season, the Cherries finished ninth with a record 56 points and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

This campaign, Iraola has placed Bournemouth - who have never played continental football - right in the midst of a fierce battle for a place in Europe with a record 13 games unbeaten in the league (W6 D7).

With back-to-back wins against leaders Arsenal and Newcastle, the Cherries are level on 48 points with both Chelsea and Brentford, who sit sixth and seventh in European places.

Their run is all the more impressive considering the departures of key players Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Antoine Semenyo this season.

"He has been absolutely magnificent," former England and Arsenal defender Martin Keown told Final Score.

"Let's remember how many players left in the summer. These guys have come in. How are they doing it?"

His points per game and win percentage both rank highest among all Cherries managers in the league.

No wonder they were desperate to convince Iraola to stay, with senior officials negotiating with the manager for 15 months only for no agreement to materialise.

"The club tried to do everything," Iraola said. "In December they had a formal offer. I tried to talk about my feelings.

"The seasons I have been here I have been so satisfied, I don't want almost to risk it. It's not that I'm exhausted, I'm more motivated to finish this season. But sometimes you have to choose well the moment to leave places."

Keown added: "It would be a shame to see him leave the Premier League. I want to keep him here, I like what he does."

But Keown might still have his wish granted with many English clubs in search of a manager currently.

Before Iraola, Oliver Glasner had already confirmed his departure from Crystal Palace.

Iraola has been among Palace's list of targets to replace the Austrian but it would have been a coup for the FA Cup holders to land the Bournemouth boss.

There are other Premier League clubs that could interest Iraola, though.

Manchester United could be on the hunt for a new manager in the summer, with Michael Carrick serving an interim tenure until the end of the season.

Arne Slot is also under pressure as reigning champions Liverpool go through a challenging second season under the Dutchman, while Chelsea have also failed to flatter under new boss Liam Rosenior.

Manchester City will also be preparing for life without Pep Guardiola, who is contracted until 2027. But there have been recent reports of the club courting former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca as Guardiola's successor.

Rory Smith, football correspondent for The Observer, said recently: "Where would Iraola fit in terms of City, United, Liverpool and Chelsea? I think he'll be a contender for all of them.

"I think he could probably fine-tune [teams]. I think the principles would remain the same, that high octane football, but I suspect he would be able to adjust it to the squad a little bit," he told BBC Monday Night Club.

And then there is Newcastle.

Howe has been under increasing scrutiny despite leading the Magpies to their first domestic trophy in 70 years and Saturday's defeat is only the latest in a string of recent setbacks.

Iraola has already followed in Howe's footsteps to manage Bournemouth and his record since compares favourably, should Newcastle's hierarchy decide a change is needed.

One team Iraola has been heavily linked with is Athletic Club.

Ernesto Valverde announced in March he would leave the club in the summer, bringing an end to his latest four-year spell in Bilbao.

Born in the Basque Country, Iraola has strong ties to the club, making 510 appearances for them between 2003 and 2015.

His family's desire to return to Spain is understood to be among the factors Iraola considered when deciding to leave Bournemouth.

Reacting to Valverde's departure, Iraola said: "It affects me probably as a supporter because I support the club.

"I've been playing there for a lot of years and has been a surprise also for me. It's my biggest reference in football, Ernesto. It's a decision that he has made, but it's not affecting me apart from the supporter side, let's say."

Smith added: "It's the club where he learned a lot of his footballing principles. A lot of the elements of his game comes from [Marcelo] Bielsa's Athletic team.

"That job is available, if he wants to go back to Spain. There will be a massive, emotional pull for that job."

But interest from Spain might not just be limited to Bilbao.

Alvaro Arbeloa succeeded the sacked Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid in January, but the La Liga giants trail leaders Barcelona by nine points with seven games to go and were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich this week.

Could the former Spain full-back be tempted by the allure of Real Madrid's star-studded squad and their vast transfer war chest? Or would he fancy a stint with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany before moving on to bigger names?

Nonetheless, where Iraola's journey takes him next could prove to be one of the most compelling stories of the summer.